September 18 - UE4 and Puertasaurus Update
jig, it has been over 3 months, what's the situation?
The launch of Unreal Engine 4 was perfectly timed with The Stomping Land. Not only would the switch solve many standing technical issues(like a low-level mouse projection error on the Oculus Rift version of UDK, preventing the foliage cosmetics from being selectable/working), but it would enable me to rework some broad optimizations that only became apparent when players were flooding into the servers. It was early enough into the project where this switch seemed feasible in just a few months of hard crunching. But just after 3 months, the amount of coverage still needed to be done is now surpassing the time that would justify this kind of upgrade. Ultimately I am glad that I made the push, because now the reality of moving to UE4 is foreseeable, just not in the immediate future. Moving forward, I'll be continuing development with the UDK version of the game up unto completion, and treading alongside slowly will be UE4's transition. As soon as it is up to speed, the UE4 version will be a free update for those who already own the game. While this did present a few months delay, the end product will be a far more satisfying project.
What is the plan with updates?
It is every developer's dream to have a perfect and predictable development cycle, but there is always that unanticipated idea or speedbump ready to throw a rock in the ant-pile. While it is impossible to promise a perfect stream of updates, I can say that there won't be any gaps longer than a few weeks, if that. And for those who stick around, you'll see what I'm up to weekly either here or the social media pages, etc.
Does the dev team still exist?
The main development team has always been intact, including myself on core development, Vlad and his partner are still rocking the dinosaurs, Kole has made more awesome sound effects than I know what to do with, and Rodrigo is still our main concept artist. Temporary members have been in and out since the beginning of the project, but such is the case for any development team. There is plenty of room for new long-term additions-- it's finding the right people which is the tough part.
Not many players are currently active.
Perhaps one day Stomp will reach its potential and draw players back in with awesome/interesting updates. Even then, until a proper solution to PVP has been crafted, maybe having fewer other hunters around will make a more enjoyable experience.
Will new players be able to buy The Stomping Land on Steam?
With enough updates, it is very likely that Stomp will become available again on Steam. Its current standing is due to the break, but it is not permanent. Still, there will be ongoing updates for those who already have it.
What can I expect from the future of The Stomping Land?
All of the awesome dinosaurs, experimental ideas and hilarious mechanics that give The Stomping Land such great potential.
When is the next update?
Right now!
http://www.thestompingland.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=19&t=5059
